Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Friday enhanced its paddy procurement target for the Kharif crop season this year from 65 lakh metric tonnes to 77 lakh MT.
The decision was taken during a meeting of a group of ministers, led by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.
With a minimum support price of Rs 2,300 and additional input assistance of Rs 800 per quintal, more farmers have expressed their willingness to participate in the procurement process, an official statement said.
For benefits of the farmers, the group of ministers has decided to increase the paddy procurement target from 65 lakh MT to 77 lakh MT, it said.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Co-operation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Singh Deo said that the process of paddy procurement has become “more transparent and successful” as the deputy Chief Ministers, ministers and senior officials are “visiting the districts and monitoring the process”.
He also suggested that early steps should be taken for the purchase of paddy in the upcoming Rabi season.
Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Department’s Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said the government has procured 46.36 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from 9.77 lakh farmers so far.
Nearly Rs 10,000 crore as MSP and Rs 3,500 crore as input assistance have already been transferred to farmers’ accounts, he said.
Keeping in view the interest of farmers, 3,883 nodal officers have been deployed with CCTV cameras placed in the mandis (paddy procurement centres).
In addition, 217 enforcement squads have been constituted to keep a close watch on paddy vehicles outside the procurement centres, officials said.
Several complaints related to the sale of paddy, including the generation of tokens, input support and MSP to farmers, are being resolved expeditiously through a command control centre set up at Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation.
As many as 4.15 lakh calls have been received and resolved through toll-free helpline No-1967.
PTI